Undercover investigation exposes gorilla poaching

An undercover investigation carried out by Endangered Species International has found up to two gorillas are killed and sold as bushmeat each week in Kouilou, a region of the Republic of Congo.

BBC Earth News reports the gorillas are dismembered and the body parts shipped down river destined for traders who sell them. Endangered Species International(ESI) launched the undercover investigation by talking to sellers and traders at food markets in Pointe Noire, the second largest city in the Republic of Congo. Memebrs of ESI went to local markets over the year and recorded how much gorilla meat was being sold. "Gorilla meat is sold pre-cut and smoked for about $6 per 'hand-sized' piece. Actual gorilla hands are also available," Pierre Fidenci, president of Endangered Species International (ESI) told the BBC. "Over time we got the confidence of the sellers and traders. They gave us the origin of the gorilla meat and it all comes from a single region." The ESI investigators journeyed to Kouilou, which is the meat's source, and lies along the Kouilou River about100 to 130km from Pointe Noire. They travelled on the boats used to carry the meat downriver, travelling upstream photographing and interviewing villagers. Their work exposed how extensive gorilla poaching had become. The investigators also surveyed, in the field, the size of the population of wild western lowland gorillas living in the region. "According to interviews and field surveys, we think we may have about 200 gorillas left in the area," Mr Fidenci. "But we estimate that 4% of the population is being killed each month, or 50% in a year. It is a lot." Adult gorillas of reproductive age are the primary targets.